Synopsis:
In the course of his work as a wildlife conservation advisor to the Mongolian government, Andrew Laurie followed up on a childhood fascination with White-throated Dippers on the Teme near Ludlow, by finding out more about their lives in the Altai Mountains. Now resident in Cambridge, Andrew has made four films on Dippers in Mongolia - covering nest-building, incubation, feeding of the chicks in the nest, and this, the most recent one (2023) on the emergence of the chicks and their early lives on the river.
Review by Victoria Angelique
The DIPPERS IN THE ALTAI IV: EMERGENCE OF THE CHICKS would be a fantastic film for a bird conversation center. The dedication of narrator, Andrew Laurie, is something to admire as he continuously travels to Mongolia from his English home to study the dippers.
The film is shot in a format that suggests this is a very personal journey and a passion project for Laurie. The camera is utilized to feel like a home movie, giving feelings of nostalgia as if this is a nature documentary from the era when they won major awards. It's familiar and comforting with the soothing narration that allows the conservation efforts to be displayed in a way that allows the information to sink in without being overwhelmed.
The dedication of Laurie and his team is admirable. Spending 15 days in a beautiful Mongolian landscape to study the behavior of the Altai dippers and their chicks shows the concern that Laurie and his team have for the birds. Watching the emergence and then the curiosity of the chicks as they explore the world beyond their nests is a joy to behold. The innocence of their movements is similar to many animals cautiously exploring new environments.
It's rare to see the growth of chicks from nest to freedom. The majority of documentaries don't stick to one location and fake the footage, this one follows the same chicks to fully understand the behavior of the Altai dippers. This would be a great documentary for a conversation center, particularly in areas where these birds reside.
Directed by Andrew Laurie
https://www.youtube.com/@andrewlaurie64/featured
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